Administrator of Colchester New Music, 2012-2019 and 2022-present. He is involved with a range of musical projects including the Erasmus Chamber Choir and Ensemble.
News items relating to Alexander Blustin on the CNM website.
- List of works: choral
- List of works: keyboard(s) (+ one instrument)
- List of works: libretto, drama and other verse
- Discography
- Bibliography
- Projects
- Contact – via Erasmus form
List of works
Choral: liturgical
Canticles I: Magnificat – Nunc Dimittis (2020), SATB (with divisi)+organ, English text
Nunc Dimittis for upper voices (2020), SSA, Latin text
Mass II (2018), SSATB (Kyrie – Gloria – Sanctus – Agnus Dei), Latin text. Premiere: 19 May 2019, London Festival of Contemporary Church Music (LFCCM) 2019, St Magnus-the-Martyr, London, dir. Lottie Bagnall [Greenhow], Listen here: Kyrie – Gloria – Sanctus – Agnus Dei
Mass I (2014 rev. 2017), SATB (Kyrie – Gloria – Sanctus – Agnus Dei), Latin text. Premiere: 15 May 2014, LFCCM 2014, St Pancras Parish Church, London, dir. Christopher Batchelor
Choral: introits, anthems and motets
Behold, O God (2021), ATB, English text [Protector noster]
All the Earth shall worship thee (2021), ATB, English text [Omnis terra]
Give peace, O Lord (2020), ATB, English text [Da pacem]
Choral: Lent, Easter and Ascension works
Thou hast mercy (2020), ATB, English text [Ash Wednesday]
I am risen (2021), SAB, English text [Easter Day introit]
Ye men of Galilee (2020), SATB, English text [Viri Galilaei]
Choral: Advent and Christmas works
Unto thee, O Lord (2020), ATB, English text [Advent I: Ad te levavi]
O Oriens (2020), ATB, Latin [Advent antiphon]
There is no rose (2020), SATB; text: Anon, medieval
Jesus Christ the apple tree (2019), SATB; text: Anon, 18th Century
Snowflakes (2014/2020), unison voices+piano; text: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)
Journey Carol (2012), SATB+organ; text: Alexander Blustin Premiere: 16 Dec 2012; St Andrew’s Swavesey; Swavesey Community Choir; Chris Jessop, conductor
Thaw (2011/2020), SATB; text: Alexander Blustin
Hymn of Winter (2010 and 2020 versions), SATB; text: Alexander Blustin Premiere: 16 Dec 2010; Cottenham Village College; Cottenham VC staff choir. Listen here (2010 version performed at LFCCM 2015 hymnody workshop)
Keyboard(s) (+ one instrument)
Recessional (2022), organ; premiere: 14 May 2023, LFCCM 2023, choral evensong at St Pancras Parish Church, London, organist Andrew Charity
Where’s all this going? (2020), clavietta; selected for the 20 Seconds of 2020 Project; David Bohn’s recording posted on YouTube, January 2021. Listen here
The grand circling of the cat-turkey (2019), suite for solo clavichord: La Gallopavo – Monsieur Donaldo – La du Christine; complete premiere 9 Mar 2019; Pavilion Room, Hughes Hall, Cambridge; Francis Knights, clavichord
A little Syracuse prelude (2019), toy piano; selected for the 100-note Toy Piano Project; David Bohn‘s recording posted on YouTube, September 2019. Listen here
Idle thoughts of owls (2017/2019), for two harpsichords/clavichords Premiere (harpsichords): 28 Apr 2018; Old House Barn, Pimlott Foundation, Colchester; Knights-Tidhar Duo; (clavichord version) 27 Jul 2019; Fitzwilliam College Chapel, Cambridge; Francis Knights and Pablo Padilla; CD release by Terence Charleston and Julian Perkins (listen here); for harpsichord+viola da gamba (2019), Premiere: 12 Oct 2019; Adams Road Commune, Cambridge; Talitha Annan, gamba; Dan Tidhar, harpsichord; for solo clavichord (2019), Premiere: 29 Feb 2020; Fitzwilliam College Chapel, Cambridge; Francis Knights
The children on the lawn (2014), two harpsichords. Premiere: 27 Feb 2015; Robinson College Chapel, Cambridge; Knights-Tidhar Duo
Snowflakes (2014), piano. Premiere: 23 Oct 2014; Swinburne Hall, Colchester Institute; Stephanie Lim, piano. Listen here (studio recording by Neil Crossland, November 2022)
Piccadilly Circus (2014), organ Premiere: 14 Sep 2014; St Peter’s North Hill, Colchester; Richard Lawn, organ
Thaw (2014), organ Premiere: 14 Sep 2014; St Peter’s North Hill, Colchester; Richard Lawn, organ
Libretto, drama and other verse
Teddy Bear (2024), play in one act.
HomeHenge.com (2022), libretto for a one-act comic operetta for two singers + ensemble
High Tea (2020), libretto for an afternoon tea cantata in the form of JS Bach/Picander’s Coffee Cantata, for three singers + ensemble
The Lion of Essex (2018), libretto for a cantata for soprano + harpsichord
Frequent contributor to the Lighten Up Online light verse webzine. Poems have also appeared in publications including Light Quarterly, Popshot, The Bell (Stainer & Bell newsletter), and in audio form on the Poetry Non-Stop blog.
As lyricist
The Sun goes down (2017), song setting for baritone and bass clarinet; music by Francis Knights, words by AJ Blustin. Premiere: 17 June 2017, Castle Methodist Church, Colchester: Tim Torry (baritone) and Charles Hine (bass clarinet): listen here.
Discography
Chit Chat: Music For Two Clavichords. Terence Charlston, Julian Perkins (clavichords); Prima Facie, August 2023: Idle thoughts of owls
Bibliography
Secrets of the gargoyles, Blustin, A. J. (August 2021) Cathedral Voice 34 11
New music for two harpsichords: the CNM call for scores and beyond, Blustin, A. J. (2019) Sounding Board (magazine of the British Harpsichord Society) 13 3 (A longer version first appeared as New music for two harpsichords: why, who and how, Blustin, A. J. (2018) NEMA (National Early Music Association) Newsletter ii/2 63)
Beaks and Quills re-invented, Blustin, A. J. (2017) NEMA Newsletter i/1 16
Printmaking: bibliography and portfolio
Astronomy: in peer-reviewed journals; various non-refereed
Projects
- Erasmus Chamber Choir and Ensemble early music consort, from 2017: general manager and publicity design
- Cambridge Festival of Ideas: external co-ordinator for the following events:
- CFI 2019: Dances, dirges and devotions: old and new music for early instruments concert in Fitzwilliam College Auditorium, 15 Oct 2019
- CFI 2018: Buxtehude’s Lost Planets early music and astronomy lecture-recital with Francis Knights (harpsichord) and Simon Mitton (narrator), Fitzwilliam College Auditorium, 16 Oct 2018
- CFI 2013: Cambridge School poetry and the frontiers of meaning; Drew Milne, Ian Heames, Justin Katko (poets), CB1 Cafe, 27 Oct 2013
- Colchester Moot Hall Organ Heritage Lottery-funded restoration project
- Pipeworks composition competition for the re-commissioning celebrations, 2014-2015: administrator
- Cambridge Poetry Stall weekly on Cambridge Market, Oct 2012-Jul 2014; it stocked new publications from local publishers and poets, plus review books and new/second-hand poetry magazines: founder and proprietor
- Colchester New Music, 2012-present
- Neil Crossland piano recital, 2023: administrator
- New music for violin and piano, 2022: administrator
- British Clarinet Ensemble workshop and recordings, 2019: administrator
- New music for two harpsichords call for scores, workshop (2017) and concert, 2018: administrator, publicity design
- New Structures in Composition mathematics and music call for scores and concert, 2017: administrator, publicity design
- Dylan Christopher’s Piano Project 2014, 2015, 2018 call for scores and concerts for learner pianists: administrator
- The Pale Enchanted Gold call for scores and concert for baritone, clarinet and piano, 2017: administrator, publicity design
- CNM Church Music portfolio of choir-and-organ music by members, 2016: administrator
- 5-part Re-Inventions call for scores, student workshop (2015) and concert for harpsichord with recorder quartet, 2016: administrator, publicity design
- Fretless Architecture call for scores and concert for fretless electric guitar, 2015: administrator, publicity design
- CNM Organ trail day of organ recitals in Colchester churches, 2014: assistant administrator
- Sonic Arts Forum Festival 2013 mini-festival of experimental electro-acoustic music at Firstsite contemporary art gallery, including composer presentations, an audio-visual installation, family outreach, and a concert for organ with electronics, 2013: administrator, publicity design, grant-writer
- Cutting Edge Brass call for scores and concert for brass quintet, 2013: administrator, publicity design
- London Composers Forum
- Cool Fusion London 2012 Cultural Olympiad new music/drama performances and community workshops, 2011-2012: grant-writer
- Moving Tone Promotions Ltd.
- Gibb Rishes Monologue experimental music theatre show tour, 2010-2011: production/stage manager, publicity designer
- Freelance admin support for various clients including the Academy of Ancient Music; harpsichordist Dan Tidhar; Moot Hall Organ; London Composers Forum; Moving Tone Promotions.
Colchester New Music 